Plants have been used by humans since ancient times in order to look after our health and heal our bodies.From the year 1552, around 1200 known herbs have been used and according to statistics about 80% oflatin people preserve the use of herbs to treat certain ailments in modern day.

However, despite being natural, there are some plants that are not suitable for the stage of pregnancy and lactation and there are even some that can have a similar effect to drugs, which affects fetal development. Many of the active substances found in plants can cross the placenta, or be passed through the breast to the baby, which is why their use should be avoided during this period.

An example to illustrate is aloe vera: Considered safe, it is often used to treat constipation problems. However, it has a side effect which can cause uterine contractions. Also Mugwort, commonly used to treat colic and indigestion, can produce abnormalities in the fetus.

Another consideration to keep in mind is that medicinal herbs can intervene with some medications and decreasing their effects, so it is always important to consult your doctor about the use of herbs and medicinal plants, especially when you are taking a previous medication.

Effects of medicinal herbs during pregnancy and / or breastfeeding

Below is a list of commonly used herbs that can be dangerous during pregnancy, however, there are still more whose consumption is not advised at this stage.

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7 Reviews about Medicinal plants that should be avoided during Pregnancy and Lactation

3Emilyon

23/03/2016

Wow, I had no idea that so many herbs could be harmful or cause complications in pregnancy and/or lactation. I would be interested to know on what authority this information is based. If I were pregnant I would definitely check with a trusted source, or better A DOCTOR before taking any kind of medicinal herb or plant.

4Stacyon

17/07/2014

Very thorough list of herbs to avoid. Nicely done. I'm glad to see that both common and uncommon herbs were listed. Although, if I were pregnant and wanted to take some sort of herb, I think I would always check with a naturopath or some sort of trust worthy text beforehand.

4Hillaryon

28/08/2013

Pregnancy is something so beautiful in life, you should try to pass through it without any problem of any kind, and enjoying all the moments of course, so it is good to have near information about the products you should consume and avoid, and of course the most important thing is loving your baby and your body

4Vivianon

26/08/2013

Too many herbs, the list is huge, I cannot even believe that there are so many bad herbs for the baby, maybe some other recommendations like fruits or other foods to avoid during pregnancy? that could be very helpful too for the women that are interested in their babies' health

5Garyon

26/08/2013

My wife is pregnant and I want to find out as many as I can of the topic, about the foods she should and must consume and what she should avoid because this baby needs to be perfect and healthy, he's my son and I'm worried about him, so thanks a lot for the tips, awesome article

4Lillianon

01/09/2013

You just have to be sure that you enjoy the pregnancy along with your wife, trying different activities that don't harm the baby as well as trying food, or even tea, but it is good to see the herbs that should be avoided, good luck with your new baby, my best wishes

4Mollyon

17/08/2013

I think that not so many people consume these kinds of herbs normally during their lives so it is not so probable to find a complication during pregnancy due to this type of problem, anyway it is always importat to find ou about more tips to have a nice and normal pregancy and a beautiful baby.